Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-04-29
GATHERING VANILLA PODS.
How the Indians of Mexico Cultivate the
Plant and Prepare 1t for Market.

How the Indians of Mexico Cultivate the
Plant and Prepare 1t for Market.
The vanilla plant is found native in
Mexico, South America and the West
Indies; but it is only in the wild valleys
near the eastern coast of the first men,
toned country that the vanilla bean is
found possessing the characteristic which
makes it valuable for the use of man. In
the other countries it attains no perfec-
ton, and is practically worthless. The
vanilla is an orchid, and is cultivated
rudely by the Mexican Indians, and by
them brought into the seaports and mar
keted, very largely in Vera Cruz. Of
the great natural beauties and wonderful
tropical features, especially the profuse
tropical vegetation of Mexico, the reader
has doubtless heard or read.
In the great valley of Mazatlan-an
immense sunken hole in the ground, a
depression of more than 5000 feet in its
immediate surroundings, where every
manifestation of nature is on a grand
scale, vegetation unrivaled in luxuriance
and beauty, ferns being found there
seventy feet in height-in this valley
vanilla hourishes in a wild state, and
here the supply of that flavoring for the
chocolate of Montezuma was obtained,
and the region round about is the vanilla
center of the world. Nothing can exceed
the jealousy of the natives in guarding
its production from the eyes or the cog
nizance of the outside world and all the
peculiarites of Mexican outdoor life are
illustrated in the brigandage which both
protects and preys upon the industry.
But few whites ever penetrate to Mazat
Ian, and it is only at great risk of life and
lavish outlay that excursions are ever
made to that point. Few care to attempt
the adventure.
The Indians cultivate by tying the plant
to a scrub oak, when, being an orchid. it
vegetables upon the air. For the first four
years of its life it bears no fruit and after
that continues in bearing until fifteen
years old. The blossoms are in clusters,
somewhat resembling lilacs, but white in
color, and of the most powerful perfume,
similar to tuberoses. The green fruit, or
BEANS depend from stock, clustered like
bananas, which they nearly resemble in
size every way while the fruit is green.
1t is gathered when not quite ripe, but
before the harvesting the beans have
|
green beans, when gathered, weigh from
sixty to seventy-five pounds per 1000
(they are handled and sold by thousands),
but dwindle in the process of curing, so
that their weight finally is but from ten
to fourteen pounds per 1000 and shrink
from an inch, or rarely two inches, in
circumference to an attenuated pod not
much larger than pipestem.
To cure properly requires about ninety
days time, and the manipulation is al
most infinite each bean being handled
critically from 800 to 500 times in the
process by the Indians. The green beans,
as gathered, are disposed of in layers
first layer Of beans and then blanket,
and so on till pile is formed of alternate
layers of beans and blankets. This is
called the sweating process, and during
its continuance the piles are turned two
or three times day, until most of the
water has been ''sweated" out. This
process is followed by drying in the sun,
and here the natives exercise the utmost
care and attention. When finished the
beans are to be the color of very dark
cigar. -American Analyst.